6. More Than Enough Wealth

6

MORE THAN ENOUGH WEALTH

R aine was trying to hold back the sympathy she was feeling when Aster told her what brought him to her area.

"I guess so," he said. "I don't see the difference though."

"You survived the life you've been living. I'm going to go out on a limb and say more than just being in the service."

He was quiet for a bit while they got inside the pub and were seated. "I've told you more than I normally tell anyone. I'm trying to process that. It's more than you being easy to talk to."

That made her smile. "Thank you," she said. "I want to say it's a gift and I'm not bragging."

"I don't know if you know how to brag," he said, angling his head.

They placed their drink orders. She got a wine and him a beer, then looked over the menus that were placed down in front of them.

"If I have something to brag about, I will," she said. "I don't know if I have before. This is a small area. Did Ivy say anything about me or my family?"

"No," he said. "I'm not that way. It just was random I found out who you were."

"Ivy is good that way. I wouldn't have been upset if she had. She is the best thing to ever happen to my brother. You haven't met Brooks, have you?"

"No," he said, reaching for his beer that was just set down. She wasn't ready to order, but he got a burger so she picked the first chicken sandwich she saw. "Why did you ask me if I met your brother?"

"He's pretty gruff and hard to be around. He's always been that way. He does not smile a lot. Used to get in fights as a kid because he couldn't stand to see people getting picked on."

Usually Brooks was defending their parents.

"A good trait to have," he said. "If you're not caught in the fight."

"He got caught enough, then learned not to. Nothing was ever horrible. He matured pretty fast. My parents weren't tolerant of it. You talked about your parents not being around, mine were. But we didn't have a lot. My father is a boat mechanic. River and Brooks worked at the marina summers and school breaks. My mother is a waitress at the same diner she's been at most of her life. I worked there as a kid too."

Many made comments to her and her brothers about that. That they'd never be anything more than their parents.

In her eyes, her parents were the best there was. Money wasn't everything.

She had no idea what kind of situation Aster had, but it wasn't one with parents that appeared to be there for him.

So in her eyes, she had more than enough wealth.

"I had a lot of jobs in high school," he said. "That is how I got to buy things I needed. My parents provided clothing and fed us, but it's not like what I considered normal."

"What's normal?" she asked, tilting her head. "I see so many kids that don't even know what it's like to sit down with their family at dinner twice a week. In my house, that was every day. My mother worked nights when we were little so that she could watch us, but she went to work after our dinner was served. My father cleaned it up and she left and he put us to bed. When we were in school, she switched to working days and then we had that structure and dinner when she got out of work at six."

"In my mind that is normal," he said. "My mother hardly ever had food in the house unless it was snacks or leftover takeout. She barely cooked. We didn't starve, they'd just go pick up something or bring it home from work. We ate where we planted our butt. Half the time my father was with his friends or my mother went out with hers."

"I see that a lot too," she said. "Parents in the picture but not active."

"That sums it up," he said.

"You mentioned a sister?" she asked.

"Daphne."

"Another flower name," she said. "I'm sure you figured out we are water names. Comes from living here and my father's love of the water. He's worked on boats his whole life but never owned one. We can't get our parents to take anything from us. We've all tried. Last year we were thrilled they finally accepted new furniture for Christmas."

It only worked because she took her mother shopping after she said her father's recliner should be retired, as it was almost as old as her. While her mother was picking that out, she added a couch to the order so her mother got something new too.

"Let's say that's the opposite of my parents," he said drily.

"Does your sister still live back home?" she asked.

"She does," he said. "She's twenty-eight and works her butt off. She works for a daycare and is a waitress part time."

"Sounds like we grew up about the same way," she said. "I was a waitress for a few years when I first started teaching. I have student loans and hated living at home, but man, I didn't make enough to be on my own at first."

She got her apartment about five years ago. Just a seven-hundred-square-foot place that she made her own and was proud of it.

"Daphne still lives at home and hates it," he said. "I've offered to help her move out a few times, but she won't take it. Sounds like your parents."

"Which means you and she were raised right."

"I don't know about that," he said. "I think it came from other people. Some of those teachers in my life and then I tried to instill it in her."

Raine smiled softly and reached her hand out. "That's one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me."

"What?" he said. "It's not like you were my teacher."

She laughed at his attempt to make a joke. She could tell she embarrassed him.

"But you've seen me at my job. We'll leave it at that. Why don't we change the subject? You know I've been here my whole life other than college. I know where you're from and why you're here. I even know some of your friends."

"You do," he said. "I feel as if I'm at a disadvantage."

"Don't feel that way," she said. "Most of my friends are my family now. All those I had in my younger years have moved away or are a couple now. Being the lone single one stinks at times."

"I don't think guys feel that way as much as women, but in this case, it seems I'm in the same boat as you."

"So that is why you agreed to this date?" she asked. "We share that?"

"I agreed because I'm attracted to you," he said seriously. "I know you are to me too."

"You know that, do you?" she asked. Was he flirting with her? She couldn't tell, but there was this deep look in his eyes that made her body let loose an involuntary shiver.

"I do," he said. "I bet you teach your students not to lie. Right?"

"That is right," she said, picking up her wine and taking a healthy sip.

"Are you attracted to me?" he asked her simply.

"That would be affirmative."

"Then we are on the same page," he said.

Their food arrived much faster than she wanted it to, but she'd take it as a boon so that she could gather her thoughts.

After a few minutes of silence while they ate, she asked, "What do you do for fun? Do you have hobbies?"

He coughed on his French fry. "Fun? I'm not sure the last time I had fun."

"I'm trying not to be insulted that you aren't having fun on this date. I'll have to take that as a challenge and think up some good activities and adventures."

"Activities and adventures?" he asked, smirking at her. "Like a fire truck project."

She laughed. "I do love a good challenge," she said. "Are you up for it?"

"I've got nothing else better going on in my life," he said.

She wasn't offended he said that because he smiled quickly and then dropped it.

At the end of the night, he'd brought her home and leaned down to give her a kiss. Just a light one on the lips.

She wasn't sure she expected him to be a gentleman and almost wished he wasn't.

"You mentioned you didn't have plans this weekend?"

"No," he said, leaning back. "You know how to reach me if you come up with something fun."

He gave her another kiss and walked away from the door to her apartment without even waiting to see if she wanted to invite him in.

It was a good thing because she was more tempted than she'd ever been in her life.